Financial Times: Reverse Mortgages Can Be Lifesavers

The financial planning community is warming up to reverse mortgages, with some advisors finding them to be “lifesavers” for some clients in tight circumstances, a Financial Times article suggests.

As reverse mortgages overcome historically negative perceptions with the help of recent program changes and new consumer protections, Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (HECMs) have also begun to gain more recognition from financial advisors in mainstream retirement planning.

Dana Anspach of Scottsdale, Arizona-based Sensible Money told Financial Times she recently recommended a reverse mortgage to a widow in her 80s whose home was paid off and was supplementing her Social Security with a home equity line of credit.

“Anspach used a reverse mortgage to pay off the HELOC, wiping out $400 a month in interest payments and providing additional monthly income of $200,” the article notes.

Other advisors are recognizing that the tax-free proceeds from reverse mortgages can allow clients to postpone Social Security usage as part of a “post-retirement tax saving strategy,” which can keep clients from withdrawing too much from IRA or 401(k) accounts.

“The bottom line is that reverse mortgages are not longer only for retirees in dire straits. Advisors ‘should be looking at every aspect of income, including home equity,’” said CEO of Blue Ocean Global Wealth Marguerita Cheng in the article.